I Think We'd Make A Good Team
by AwkwardDotard
Summary: This is my first proper Loki/OC series. This Elektra's the same one from my poker fluff oneshot, except this series is set when they're around seventeen or eighteen. Elektra, a very clever, but lonely girl, keeps seeing a boy in the library, and can't help but develop feelings for him. She thinks that they'd be happy together, but is too shy to tell him. Enjoy and review, please!
1. Chapter 1

**This fic was heavily inspired by the lyrics of 'El Scorcho,' by Weezer. So yes, I am partially giving Rivers Cuomo credit for this story. **

She had seen him a couple of times.

He was always sat in the Asgardian library, just mulling over things, and sometimes browsing the magic and lore section. He always sat in exactly the same spot every single time; near the gleaming window pane, which gave to a magnificent view of the Bifrost. Its surreal colours appeared to stretch out to perpetuity, and when it was sunny in Asgard, the bridge appeared to twinkle. Dark rain clouds covered sky at the moment, however.

He always bore an expression of deep concentration, and she could tell that he was knowledgeable.

Very knowledgeable.

She was certain that he had never seen her sitting on the other side of the room, for she was constantly surrounded by a mountain of books. Plus, she constantly threw her mid-length hair over her eyes, so to avoid any possible eye-contact with passers-by. Despite seldom raising her head, she always knew when he entered the library, as he was always greeted most politely by the librarian. Whenever she heard the words: "Why, welcome Prince Loki!" She knew it was him. Seventeen seconds. That was how long it took him to cross from the entrance to his spot by the window. She was also aware that it took him another eight seconds to settle down and become lost in concentration; only then would it be safe to move her books to one side and steal a glance at him.

Her gift was her mind. If she were to sit into a room with a metronome ticking away, she would be able to say exactly how many times it had ticked, without hesitation. The numbers and sums that seemed large and difficult to others, were merely elementary in her head. 'Two hundred and sixty five multiplied by ninety two.' She could solve that sum in a matter of seconds; she did not see what was so hard, really. It was a mere methodical process.

People however, were another matter entirely.

She had been raised by her uncle, alongside his four sons and her own twin brother, so she wasn't expected to be shy. Yet, she was. Other than with her family and her one good friend Amelita, she had never really spoken at length to somebody else. Besides the regular small talk and what was necessary, she was completely and utterly socially inept. Now, at the age of eighteen, she had decided that it was time for her to find somebody special. All of her cousins had girlfriends; her oldest one was engaged. Her brother was currently with his third girlfriend of the year.

Prince Loki seemed to be similar to her; never truly reaching out and connecting with people. That was why she was so interested in him, but she couldn't even look him in the eyes, let alone ask him out.

Abruptly, she was shaken away from her daydream, by the thought that she still had three pieces of homework to complete, and two chapters of her favourite book to finish. It didn't look very promising; she would have to stay in the library for at least another couple of hours if she even hoped to finish the arduous tasks. Forcefully shoving the thoughts of Loki out of her head, she began writing her fourth piece of work for the evening. In an elegant, flowing script, she wrote her own name_, 'Elektra Vaerdottir'_ on the top left corner of the parchment. She began the work.

Finally, after two and a half hours of nonstop working and reading, she had finished everything. 'Work now, sleep later' she haggardly thought to herself. When the majestic clock finally struck nine, she decided to finally go home. Collecting her things together, she cleared her throat and made towards the exit, making sure to look downwards as she walked.

"Goodbye, Elektra dear!" Came a warm female voice from behind her. She turned. With a kind smile on her face, the librarian was stood behind her. Elektra gave her another kind smile and in little over a whisper, she returned the bidding. With a stroke of luck and haste, she would catch the carriages back to her home. Despite it not being a very long way, she was not keen to walk in the freezing cold and rain.

Unfortunately, she was not so lucky. Taking a peek at the carriage timetable, she saw that the last one left three minutes ago. Cursing all nine realms, she pulled her hood up over her head and began to walk. The wind whipped at her face, and within two minutes, she was sodden to the skin. After what had seemed like an eternity of cold, she saw her home in the distance. It was a very nice place; her family was in no way short of money. Her uncle had a prominent place in the palace, as an advisor to the Allfather, so they had a good start in life. As she got closer to the house, she noticed someone standing in the open doorway. He had an incredibly stern look on his face. Elektra gingerly stepped towards him and smiled in an innocent manner.

"Oh, good evening uncle! Lovely weather." She said weakly. Her uncle did not reply; he merely pointed sharply at the door, and beckoned for her to enter. She did so promptly. After he had closed the door behind his niece, the man began to sigh. He was a tall and healthy man, with deep set eyes and a pair of pointed ears sticking through his long brown hair.

"Elektra... did you walk home in the storm?" He simply asked.

"Er... maybe?" Elektra stammered, while shuffling her feet nervously. Nevertheless, she held her ground and tried to the best of her ability, to maintain eye contact with her uncle.

"Either you did, or you went for a fully-clothed bath in the royal lake at this time of night. Which is it?"

"The bath," Elektra suddenly blurted out, "I really thought that the weather was lovely, so I decided to go a for a swim in the lake. I didn't take my clothes off though, you can never trust these Asgardians, you know! Leave your clothes on the banks for one hour, and they'll be in the black market the next day!" she chortled. She really had no idea what she was saying.

Silence.

Elektra really thought that she had overstepped the boundaries this time, but felt relieved when her uncle burst out laughing.

"Oh, my Elektra! Never will you fail to surprise me. Now, you're sodden, so go upstairs and have a _proper_ bath for me. Despite the royal lake being very nice, I believe you require one. We elves must be pristine in matters of hygiene!"

"Yes uncle..." Elektra slowly muttered, while making her way towards her own bathroom. On her way up the spiral staircase, her mind suddenly wandered towards Prince Loki. She wondered about what he was doing at the moment and whether he was happy or not. His face, screwed up in concentration was engraved in her mind, like some sort of equation that she had to learn for school. Finally, she reached the bathroom, and threw on the taps. When the bath was almost full, she stopped the tap and quickly undressed herself, before quickly stepping into the lukewarm water. She sat, and continued to think about her rather one sided love affair, until she drifted off to sleep.

Note: Right. Erm okay, this chapter was really long, I know. That's the hard thing about OC series. I know my character, but you guys don't. So I've got to introduce her well enough. Anyway, the next one won't be so long, I promise!


	2. Chapter 2

**Right, I know that I promised that this chapter would be shorter, but I lied. It's even longer. There are a couple of new characters being introduced, so if you're slightly confused about them, feel free to let me know and I'll clear things up in the next chapter.**

She was suddenly awoken, by several sharp knocks against the door.

"Elektra, what the hell are you doing in there?" A young, male voice called, "Wait- don't answer that." He continued, in a slightly lower voice. Elektra rolled her eyes in annoyance and turned her head towards the door. How long had she really been asleep?

"Damn it Lysander, I feel asleep. I wasn't doing the other thing; I can assure you of that. By the way, how long was I here for?"

"A couple of hours, El. Uncle's had to go to the palace. Top secret royal business, he says. Anyway, it's just us and the four imbeciles. We-"

"Hey!" Yet another male voice called from further away. "We can hear you, dung beetle!"

With that, a cacophony of insults and yells exploded throughout the house; the words being hurled around were fouler than Hel itself. With an exasperated gasp, Elektra stood up, drained the bath and reached for her towel. Living with five boys was _really _tiresome. When she had finally dried herself, she decided that the best course of action would just be to_ ignore them. _She flung the door open, only to behold a fantastic sight. Lysander, her twin brother, was caught in a crushing headlock by her oldest cousin, Darys. He was choking and squirming like a fish out of water. At the same time, her three other cousins were in a messy heap on the floor. Punches had been thrown! Lysander managed to get a few strangled words out.

"Hey- Darys!" He grunted several times before continuing his sentence, "You know that fiancée of yours? I-"

"Don't-even- think- about- it." Darys growled in an almost animalistic manner, while pounding Lysander's hair. Elektra looked on, in awe. Usually, she either grabbed some popcorn, or joined in, but considering she had only a towel on, she decided against the latter. Plus, she always ended up with several cuts and bruises. Despite this, she often said the best insults, and Darys would always commend her for her efforts.

"Go back to Alfheim, elfish scum!"

"You just slandered your own race, you self-loathing racist!"

"I'll bite your damned pointy ear off!"

"I'll have you, long shanks!"

The insults continued to be passed between the five boys. Sometimes, she wished that she could just return to Alfheim, but she knew that she would miss her uncle, brother and cousins way too much. Plus, she had a Prince in the fray now. She would not let him go that easily.

Suddenly, the six young elves froze. They heard muffled voices outside.

Several voices.

The first one was easy to distinguish; it was that of Lazarus, Elektra and Lysander's uncle, but the others were more difficult. Elektra knew that there was at least one woman present, but that was all. Slowly, the three boys on the floor stood up, and Darys released Lysander from his iron grip, while slapping him over the head in a condescending manner and shushing him. Elektra slowly took a peek out of the window, and saw her uncle unrolling a colourful mat before the door.

"He's unrolling the mat. He never unrolls the mat." She quickly whispered.

"True. Unless..." Darys slowly began, but he stopped speaking as soon as the door opened.

"Allfather and Allmother, I welcome you graciously into our home. And you too, my princes."

"My pleasure, Lazarus. Your company is most appealing." A female voice spoke kindly. The king and the queen both stepped into the house; they were both so glamorous and regal, in the way they held themselves and the way that they dressed.

Elektra's heart did somersaults in her chest. She could not breathe. If the family was here tonight, that meant that...

Loki was in her house right now! She began to hyperventilate. What would she say once he saw her; she was not dressed! She was all but naked! She turned around to look at the five boys behind her, they looked equally surprised. Even Darys' face seemed taken aback, and he never often showed very much emotion at all.

"_He brought the entire royal bloody family home? What the bloody hell is the old codger thinking? I tell you, your dad's off his nut." _Lysander mouthed to Darys, earning him another slap on the head, however this time, it came from Elektra herself. She hated when Lysander insulted their uncle. If it weren't for him, they would be in an orphanage, or worse, homeless.

In all honesty, she did not care much for Thor. All of the girls in her class wet themselves at the sight of him, but she did not feel too fussed about him. Their panic however, was cut by a voice calling from downstairs.

"Everybody, stop being so incredibly rude and greet our fabulous guests!" Lazarus boomed. Elektra buried her face in her hands, and suddenly sprinted towards her room. Darys caught her hand before she was able to leave.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Please, tell him I'm asleep. Just do it!" Elektra looked at her oldest cousin pleadingly. His face screwed up, and he finally nodded. She mouthed a thank you, and ran to her chambers. Her cousins made their way downstairs and from the hallway, she could hear a muffled mixture of different voices and greetings, including Darys' mentioning that she was asleep. _Thank Gods for Darys. _Elektra thought, while throwing off her towel and putting her clothes on. Without warning, she slapped herself on the head, and cursed herself for being so shy! The only hope she had at this rate, was if Loki loved her back, and suddenly ran upstairs to her bedroom to declare it. She did know however, that the chances of that happening were as slim as Lysander becoming a top-class philosopher. The thought of her brother in the garb of an intellectual, giving a speech about something clever brought a smile to her face. With the Lysander she knew, the only speech he would most likely make in his life would be a drunken wedding speech, in which he would call someone's new wife a fat cow.

Unexpectedly, the door flung open. She sat up straight and turned.

Could it be? Was it who she thought it was? Her head slowly swerved around, and for one moment, she was sure that it was _him._

Until she turned completely.

"I knew you weren't asleep, you little liar. Darys is soft as butter when it comes to you." Her uncle hissed, "The King and Queen's two sons are here." He continued. Elektra squirmed in her seat.

Suddenly, he looked at her sincerely and sat beside her.

"Elektra... You must learn to have friends!"

_Oh gods, _she thought.

"I have Amelita!"

"Yes, and who else? It has been almost ten years since you came to this realm, and still, you cannot find somebody of Asgard to befriend! At first, I understood. You struggled with the language. I fail to see how you are still on your own! Your brother has adjusted enough! He is downstairs right now, entertaining our guests!"

With that, Elektra began to flare up. She stood up straight and placed both hands on her hips.

"Don't compare me to Lysander!" She hissed angrily.

"I am not, I was merely-"

"Look, uncle I know. I'm a loser! I spend all my days poring over science books in the library, daydreaming about things that will never happen, and doing rubbish magic. I know that you wish for a better niece. I know that I've disappointed you!"

As soon as she had finished speaking, she looked at her uncle. His eyes were filled with hurt and upset, and at that moment, she did not care. She_ wanted_ to make him feel bad. Even though she loved him, she was too angry to care.

"You remind me of somebody. Somebody in this very house." He began slowly.

Elektra narrowed her eyes in confusion. What on _earth_ was he talking about?

"I heard an argument between the Allmother and her youngest son, earlier today. I know that eavesdropping is a bad habit, but I could not help but listen to him. He was upset, I think; his voice was cracking. He was talking about how everybody favours _Thor_ over him. I feel heavy sympathy for the young man." Lazarus continued, rather sadly. "I think... that you can befriend him, Elektra. You seem to have some things in common with him. You would make a good team."

Elektra did not know how to reply. She had an inkling that Loki was a rather unhappy boy, but she had never thought it to be so complicated.

"Look... Uncle. I see him in the library often, but I cannot speak to him! It's not as simple as you think it is. In your line of work, socialisation is a second nature, but to me, it's as complicated as quantum dynamics." Elektra began sadly. "I wish that I could open up to others, but I just don't know how. Whenever I try to pass the boundaries of mere small talk, my mind goes blank."

Lazarus pursed his lips, and put his hands together under his chin. Without a word, he stood up and left the room. Elektra was incredibly confused, but her uncle often did unexplained things. All that she could do was wait. Maybe he would come back.

Minutes passed. Loud booms of laughter came from downstairs, and at that moment, Elektra felt more alone than ever. But not before long, she heard slow footsteps on the stairs. They did not belong to any member of her family. She had memorised the rhythm of her brother and cousins' steps. Lysander's were quick, regular and loud, whereas Darys' were intermittent and quieter.

Since she could still hear the laughter of the king, queen and their booming son Thor, there was only one person that it could possibly be.


	3. Chapter 3

Her lips began to shake and her throat clenched up as she heard the steps get nearer and nearer. When she finally saw the shadow passing over the crack between her door and the wall, she felt her face grow hot. If it was truly Loki outside, he would have realised that there was somebody there, as her light was on, and it would have shone through the slice made by the door. All she could do was sit and tremble silently. As always, her mind began to race. By the time the knock came on the door, she had imagined up at least ten scenarios in her head pertaining to how her first meeting with Loki would unfold. The first few were awful; she had visions of him coming in and laughing straight in her face for no apparent reason, while she sat crying profusely. The next one was even more bizarre, she imagined him wearing a ball gown, with a heavily made up face. He would waltz into the room, grab her waist and dip-kiss her, smearing her face with glutinous lipstick.

The three raps on the door however, silenced her wandering mind.

Complete and utter silence enveloped the entire room, as she thought of what to say. At that moment, she had completely forgotten the entire language, and was so close to saying something in her own tongue, before finally finding her voice.

"Yes?" she squeaked, trying hard to cover her accent.

"Uh, hello?" A soft, slightly quiet yet confident male voice replied. An audible gasp left Elektra's mouth when he spoke. She had never heard Prince Loki speak before, although his voice was exactly how she would have imagined it to be. She cleared her throat, before speaking more clearly. This was it.

"C-Come on in!"

_Shoot_, she thought. Her accent was far too noticeable by now. _Ah well._

The door slowly creaked in, and in walked in Prince Loki, in all his princely, Asgardian glory. As soon as his soft green eyes lay upon her, Elektra began to feel slightly sick. Even though she knew it was rather off-putting, she could not stop looking at him. Now looking at him closely, she felt even more attracted to him. She could see from here that he was an incredibly good-looking guy. Not in the sense that he was buff and brawny, but in a more feline and graceful sense. One thing that she really loved about him, were his _wrists. _It was a generally strange attraction to hold, but she loved the way they curved so elegantly. _So beautiful, _she thought amorously. The look in Loki's eyes changed as soon as she thought of those two words. She wondered if he could actually read minds, but then she realised.

The words had not been thoughts.

She had to resist the urge to furiously slap herself in the face, before nervously clearing her throat once more.

"P-Prince Loki! What brings you to this- this..." She choked up and lost the words in her tongue. His eyes suddenly looked slightly sympathetic, and he stepped further into her room, _closing the door behind him._

Elektra once again began to panic. Why was he closing the damned door?

"I thought I'd have a look around your beautiful home, and see what treasures I could find." He silkily spoke. He kept on looking straight at Elektra, especially when he came to the last part of his sentence.

"Oh. We h-have some- some- erm... Elvish stuff down the hall. It's ant-antique." She managed to get out from in-between her lips. Loki smirked and put one hand down on the wall next to him. She had completely missed his point.

"Would you care to show some of it to me?" The last few words of his were cut off by the sound of booming laughter, similar to the sound of a thunderstorm, coming from downstairs. Elektra knew that it could only come from Thor. She quickly made the connection between Loki's now slightly sour expression and what Lazarus had told her earlier, about the issues that the Prince had with his family. Still, his face softened once again when he looked at Elektra. Realising that he was awaiting an answer, she hastily stood up.

A little_ too_ hastily.

Her foot got caught in the shoe that she had placed on the floor next to her, and before she knew it, she had stumbled and almost fell over completely. What happened next was completely unexpected. When she looked up from the floor, Loki's face was right in hers. His cool fingers were wrapped around her wrist, and his eyes were narrowed in concern. _Those wrists of his_, she thought.

"I'm fine!" She declared brightly, as she got to her feet. Loki, although not looking too convinced, nodded his head. At least she had managed to string two words together. Without looking at him, she stepped towards the door, opened it, and awkwardly ushered him out.

"No, I insist. You first." He said softly, with a small smirk twitching at his lips. It looked slightly mischievous in Elektra's opinion, but she walked through the door nonetheless. Guiding him through the elegant hallway, she flinched every time she heard a shout of laughter coming from downstairs. She knew it hurt him that they were having a good time without him, even though he would not show it. Funnily enough, she could tell when somebody was looking at her, and right now, he _was. _She hoped that he wasn't looking where she thought that he was. She finally stopped when the two reached a chest, sat upon a mahogany bench.

"Well, m-my prince-"

"Loki." He said shortly.

"S-sorry." She dropped her gave to the floor. She _knew_ that he was merely being friendly to her, but still, she felt furious with herself. Why couldn't she do anything correctly? "Well... This chest is important to us, b-because... because..."

She could not remember the story that her uncle had told her about the chest! She glanced down at its ruby-encrusted handles, and suddenly it came flooding back to her.

"On-Once, there was a... a powerful, yet evil elf witch by the name of Melisiandra. Sh-She cursed many villages and took many lives." She began to finally find a flow to her words, and found herself stammering less and less. "One day, she came across a family. Th-they lived on the corner of a huge forest, quite happily actually. Until her arrival, of course." She promptly added, before looking up at Loki. He was completely immersed in her story telling, and his face was the complete epitome of respect and understanding.

"What happened next?" He murmured softly; he was now standing very close to Elektra. So close that she could actually _feel_ his words in her ears. Even though her cheeks were blazing and her heart racing, she felt determined to carry on.

"She attempted to harm the family. She killed their oldest son and went about battling the father, but... in him she had met her match. He captured her spirit and imprisoned it in... In an old box of his."

Loki's eyes swiftly darted towards the box that he had begun to slowly stroke. He quickly pulled a hand away from it. Elektra gave a rueful smile and continued to speak.

"It is only a story my pr- Loki. But still, uncle is intent on keeping it closed."

She finally finished, and a sweet silence wrapped up the two.

"That... was beautiful."

"Oh, it is a good story." Elektra agreed quickly. Her stammer had all but gone, and she felt a lot less nervous after reciting Lazarus' story, almost word-for-word.

"No, not the story." Loki continued, "It is very interesting," he hastily added, after seeing Elektra's puzzled and lightly offended expression. "But it was your telling that made it magical to listen to. You've a very unique voice, Elektra. It is a shame that you do not let other hear it often."

Elektra's heart jumped as she heard him utter her name for the first time. It seemed alien. Her cheeks had begun to grow ever so red, and she looked at the floor once again.

"Ahh... I don't..." She began. Her blasted stammer had returned, as she felt her insides turn to liquid. Suddenly, Loki brought up a hand and placed it on her upper arm. Instinctively, she put her own hand over it, and felt the coolness of his fingers beneath her own, clammy hand. A real and genuine smile came across his face at that very moment. He came even closer, until they were naught but centimetres apart.

"Little limey green runt!" a voice bellowed from downstairs, "Time to go! Stop jerking off to relics and come down here!" the voice continued, although slightly quieter this time. Loki recoiled quickly; a look of pure anger, mingled with sadness was present in his face.

"Go." Elektra simply said, although the look in her face spoke more than words ever could. He seemed very apologetic as he made his way downstairs. Before disappearing from the hallway, he took one last glance at her. This was the best look that she had gotten from him all evening. She felt as though she could die when he looked at her that way. She really did.

Despite their abrupt and disappointing parting, Elektra was sure that this would not be their last meeting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: This chapter's going to be from Loki's POV. Just because I can ;)**

Over a week had passed since his meeting with Elektra, and yet, he could not stop hearing her voice in his head. It had such a lovely quality to it; rich like mahogany, yet smooth and flowing like soft velvet. For the first time in a very long while, he was not preoccupied with trying to better himself over his brother. He had decided to stop his fruitless attempts to pursue Sif. Instead, the voice of that interesting elf-girl filled him completely. Her face, while being gentle, was not his main interest. It was her passion for storytelling and her evident intelligence which had piqued his curiosity. Despite having a short exchange with her, he could tell a lot. She was much too timid, and he could not imagine why. His train of thought however, was ceased by a large bang outside of his chamber door.

Leaping from his bed, he bound towards the door and opened it by a tiny amount, in fear of what he would see. The reality however, was irritating if anything.

Thor had been sparring with Sif, _inside the palace._ The two looked incredibly fatigued and worn out from the fight, and Loki soon discovered that the source of the noise was in fact Thor's sword; it was impaled on a wall.

"You _imbecile,_ Thor!" Sif playfully trilled, while placing a hand on his shoulder. Thor was too oblivious to notice, but Loki could see that she had feelings for his brother. Of course, Sif had lied to him earlier, when he asked her to spend the afternoon with him. She had told him that she had school work to attend to. Dejectedly, he shut the door, waited for the chatter and laughter from outside to die down, and stepped outside. He would go to the library instead; at least he was somewhat wanted there. Besides, there was a chance that he would see Elektra there, despite it being slim. He had never seen her there before.

As he walked down the marble steps towards his own haven, he felt a warm serenity wash over him. Even if he was different, even if he was alone, that was how he preferred it. His meeting with Elektra had further assured him of that fact. His eyes trailed over the beauty that was his home realm. The metallic structures were carved to the uttermost perfection; they shimmered a little in the autumn sun, and clawed towards the heavens of old. After a small walk, Loki reached the library. As always, he was greeted kindly by the librarian.

"Prince Loki. How so very wonderful to see you here today," she said, before giving him a genuine smile.

"It is my pleasure, Allegra." He quietly replied, before returning the smile. He stopped for a moment, and scanned the library for any sign of Elektra, but he could not see her. The library was all but empty, apart from one person sitting at the other end of the room behind a mountain of books. Turning on his heel, he made for his favourite spot by the window. He loved the view of Asgard from such a high place; it was so surreal. When he was about to settle down, he suddenly heard a small sneeze from behind the mountain of books. Even though it was probably nobody he knew, it still seemed too familiar to ignore. He got up slowly, and made his way towards it the table. When he peered over the books, a warm feeling rushed over him, for there sat Elektra, with a white handkerchief over her mouth.

"Bless you." He simply said, although he regretted speaking later. First of all, she let out a loud squeak, causing her hand to go flying to the left of her. Incidentally, she had a cup of some drink sat aside to her left, and within seconds, it was all over the table. _Oh, Gods. She's a nervous wreck,_ Loki thought uncomfortably. Just _what_ had happened to that girl?

"Elektra, stop-stop." Loki urged frantically, as she had begun shaking and trying to conjure a spell to mop up the spilt drink with trembling hands. After a few seconds of patting her on the back and holding her hands in his, she managed to calm down.

"It's okay..." he whispered, before doing the spell himself. The table was presently bone-dry. Finally, he settled down on the chair next to her; they were shielded by her mountain of books. He would have given anything to have another conversation with her, but he had to fight off the urge to hold her hand in case it made her even more nervous.

"So... The mystery person behind the books all this time... was you." Loki began. Elektra seemed quite apologetic.

"I'm sorry my- Loki. I just can't take them away; they're like a part of me. When I'm older, I'll build a palace out of rooks- oops, I meant b-books."

"I would have to come and live there with you!" he chortled in response. _Palace made out of books. _She sure was imaginative.

"We could erm... have a lot of children too!" she giggled, before suddenly burying her face in her hands and clearing her throat. "That was completely inappropriate! I'm so sorry." She had begun to clear away the books!

"Elektra, no- it's fine- what are you-"

"I'm sorry, L-Loki. I have some things to d-do" she hastily muttered, before rushing off. Loki swore that he could see small tears forming in her eyes. Unwilling to let her go that easily, Loki quickly followed her. He told himself that he would _try _to calm her down and if he couldn't break that wall of nervousness, he would just let her be. Gradually, he broke into a run in an attempt to catch up with her. Once he saw her just ahead of him, he approached her and put a hand on her wrist.

"Oh!" she turned around, "Urgh..."

"Elektra, why did you rush off? I am aware that you were only jesting. You were, weren't you?"

"I... I-" she began; her eyes fluttered. "I love you! Like Darys loves Mariana!" This was the loudest that he had ever heard her speak. Her voice was for once, powerful and full of hidden feelings. Loki just stood still. He was too surprised to say a single thing; he barely even noticed when she ran away in tears. For the first time ever, he was stuck for things to say. His insides had instantly liquefied as a result of the new feeling that washed over him. He thought he knew love. He thought that what he had previously felt for Sif was love. How wrong he was; the small feeling of giddiness that he got whenever he was around her was_ nothing_ compared to what he felt for Elektra.

The small thing was however, that they had only known eachother a week! Elektra could not have developed feelings for him in such a small space of time; if she had, then that was not real love.

The only other solution was that she could have been interested in him since before their meeting, which was unlikely indeed. However, the longer Loki considered it, the more plausible it became. He could remember seeing her behind her books in the library for at least the past _seven months. _

Seven months? Was that really the time that she had spent watching him?

He _needed _answers straight away.


	5. Chapter 5

_What had she done? _

Elektra, still sobbing with embarrassment, ran down the paved path with her head down, in fear of Loki seeing her again. Her mind span uncontrollably, and all at once, she had several visions of Loki coming home to his family and laughing about their encounter. Very quickly, she began to panic. At least at the moment, nobody knew who she was! If Loki spread it around, she would be ridiculed for eternity. She decided that the best course of action would be not to return home, but to see her best friend Amelita. Through her blurry vision, she could see the faint outline of her friend's house in the distance, and made her way towards it. The sweet sound of thetrees rustling in the soft breeze was her only consolation now; it was the only thing that eased the anger which was so often directed at herself. Once she had finally arrived at the door of Amelita's small, yet comfortable home, she wiped her eyes agitatedly. She did not want her mother or father becoming suspicious; they would surely tell Lazarus of her afflictions. After tapping lightly against the compact door, she stood back and sucked in enough air through her slightly parted lips, to last her a lifetime. Presently, the door squeaked open, revealing a tall and hard-faced elf.

"H-Hello, sir. I-"Elektra began quietly.

"Amelita! It's for you." He abruptly bellowed, before giving Elektra a brief and forced smile. Elektra never did like encounters with Amelita's father. Ever since they had all moved to Asgard, he always seemed full to the brim with derision. The two stood opposite eachother, waiting awkwardly for Amelita's presence. The time ticked on, and a second felt like perpetuity to Elektra. Finally when Amelita came down the stairs, her broad smiling face offered Elektra some small comfort. Amelita's father raised his eyebrows and then proceeded to turn his back and disappear down the hallway. Following her father's movements with her eyes, Amelita shook her head in annoyance and went to lead her friend inside the house.

"Never mind him..." Amelita muttered with a hint of anger in her voice, "He- Elektra?" She noticed the redness around her friend's eyes and went to softly place a hand on her shoulder, "What is it?"

"I'll t-tell you. Let's go upstairs," Elektra softly replied; her voice had begun to shake once again. Amelita smiled simply and took her friend's hand, leading her up the stairs. Once they reached Amelita's bedroom, Elektra sat down on her best friend's plush bed. After glancing out of the doorway sceptically, Amelita turned to face her and placed two hands on her hips.

"What ills you?" She began firmly, "Don't lie to me, because you're a piss poor liar, but you know that! I thought you were happy; you actually got to speak to Loki! "

Elektra scoffed mirthlessly and placed a hand on her head.

"Well... As you know, I'm the world champion at socialising." Elektra's comment earned a giggle from her friend.

"I saw him in the library today and... I might have told him that I loved him."

Elektra once again, put her hands over her head and let out an exasperated groan. Silence filled the room.

"Are you playing with me, Elektra?"

"Wh-what?"

"Right, I knew you were shy, but I had no idea that it was this bad. _What type of a socially inept penguin tells someone that they love them, and then runs off crying? _The poor bastard's probably as confused as Hel,_" _Amelita urged, with a slightly annoyed expression on her face. A sharp pang of guilt washed through Elektra as soon as Amelita had spoken. She_ had_ acted rather irrationally, in retrospect.

"Listen Lita, I know it was a rash thing to do, but it happened nonetheless. What I'm worried about is that he's going to go home to all of his family and friends and joke about what happened. The saddest thing is that I really meant it. I do love him, and I think that we'd be really good together, but-"

"You would." Amelita cut in suddenly.

"I would what?"

"No, you and him. You would be really very happy together, considering you're the two biggest nerds that were ever shoved into existence." She continued with a smirk on her face. Elektra shook her head slowly, and a slightly disappointed look came over her.

"I know. It's a shame that I can't even look at him properly or get through a conversation without breaking down completely. The only time I was able to speak to him properly was when I told him the entire story about Lazarus' treasure chest, and I had memorized that off by heart." Elektra sighed, before suddenly piquing up. "Do you reckon he likes physics and stuff? "

Amelita scoffed, "Probably. Why, in every conversation you have, does physics have to come up? Forget Loki, and marry science."

"Ah, shut up Lita." Elektra groaned, with a slight smile on her face, "I was just wondering if he liked it, because in that case, I'd be able to speak to him about it. It's one of the only things that I can actually talk to people about." She continued in a rather excited tone.

"It's not a terrible idea, but you'd have to make sure that he likes it too before you start rambling on about Schro- something's cat and all of that drivel. I expect that even if he _does_ like it, he'll be creeped out by you."

"It's _Schrodinger's Cat_. And it definitely is not drivel. If it weren't for physics, the world wouldn't be the way it is. It's not just a mere science, it makes up our Universe, and-"

Okay, I'm sorry!" Amelita began, but she was cut off by Elektra's frenzied words.

"It's a fact of life! Physics exists everywhere, we're just trying to understand it, so Amelita, before you go ahead and call it drivel-"

"Argh! Okay, goddamn it! It's not drivel; it's the best and most beautiful thing in the Nine Realms. After Thor's arms, of course."

"Pfft." Elektra hissed, with a roll of the eyes. The two sat parallel to eachother in silence once more.

After a few seconds, Amelita slowly raised her head and met her friend's eyes. There was something slightly impious about her look.

"Elektra... I have an idea."

"Umm... Okay?" Elektra replied, while furrowing her brow suspiciously.

"You see how your brother-cousin- whatever he is, is getting married next week? I thought that-"

"Ah, damn the world! I forgot!" While furiously slapping herself on the forehead, Elektra groaned in irritation.

"Well you remember now. Just zip it and listen. I'm invited, am I not?" Amelita asked pressingly.

"Well... I suppose you are."

"Good. Can I bring a guest?"

That's what usually happens at weddings, you cretin."

"Bitch. Anyway, I'll take that as a yes. In that case, that's all I need to know."

Elektra gave her friend a foul look and shook her head in bother.

"Okay, what's the plan though? She hissed.

"You'll see. You'll see..."

With a deep sigh, Elektra gave up on trying to press her for information; it was a losing battle. The only thing that she could do was wait for the wedding and see what would unfold. She was much too exhausted to care anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

**Wedding Shenanigans: Part 1**

"This- Is- Bullsh-"

"Lysander! Shut your trap and help me with these flowers! I'm not allowed to use magic for the wedding and we're hours behind schedule, all because you decided to start and eventually lose a fight with that Fandral bloke. The guests are to arrive any second now!" Elektra hissed at her brother, who was fruitlessly trying to pull the cork off a bottle of wine. His arms flopped to the side and he reluctantly stepped over towards his sister. Her face was screwed up with effort, as she attempted to drape a large chain of roses around the golden ceilings.

"Ha, midget!" Lysander hooted callously, as he effortlessly slung the flowers up. He was dressed in handsome deep purple robes, while she had on a yellow halter top and a matching skirt. She almost always wore halters; they were like a part of her. In her view, she looked like an omelette, but Miriana, Darys' fiancée, had picked all of the outfits. Elektra had already begged her to allow the halter, so she did not want to 'outstay her welcome,' so to speak. After admiring his work proudly, Lysander went back to his task of trying to open the wine bottle.

"No, no, no Lysander." Elektra began in an incredibly condescending manner. "You are not going _anywhere near _alcohol today. It's Darys's bloody _wedding day,_ and if you do anything wrong, I'll tell your girlfriend that you hide in the girls' changing rooms every afternoon at school."

The transformation of Lysander's face gave Elektra much satisfaction. His smug smile quickly turned into the sourest of countenances, while the blood drained from his face.

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

Without warning, Lysander leapt towards his sister, and the two suddenly began to have a scuffle in the middle what was going to be a wedding hall. Lysander had his hands wrapped around Elektra's pointed ears and it was as if he was attempting to pull them off her head.

"Not-the-ears!" Elektra grunted.

While shrieking in pain, Elektra had her twin by the scruff of his neck with one hand, and conjuring up all the strength she could, she flung her fist towards his nose. She had punched him harder than she thought. Howling, Lysander leapt backwards holding his nose with both of his hands. Although at first he looked shocked and appalled, he presently began to grin.

"I've trained you well, little sister."

"_Little sister?"_ Elektra protested angrily, "By how long; seven seconds?"

"You're still younger. Scooch, dork." He said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. He pushed past Elektra and made the finishing touches to the wedding hall. After finally finishing what resembled now a majestic throne room, Lysander eyed the room proudly.

"I'm so proud of my work. Oh, and by the way sister, I did not _lose_ the fight with that Asgardian blonde bombshell. I retired from it, as I realised how late we were running! Plus, maybe if you could actually socially interact with people, it wouldn't have dragged on for so long! "

"Your work?," Elektra spluttered in disbelief, while placing her hands on her hips and tiptoeing to reach her brother's height, "Other than trying to steal your own cousin's wedding wine, and shoving some flowers around the place, _what have you done that's been of use? _And you blatantly lost the fight; I had no idea it was even going on!_"_ She continued. A great feeling of irritation had come over her.

"You just can't admit that you're useless. You can't even take out a boy. I've seen the way you moon over that Loki guy. _Oh Darys, please tell them I'm asleep, I can't possibly imagine showing His Royal Hotness how useless and nervous I am around normal people!" _He continued, with a high pitched and whimsical voice; a wide stretched across his face. Tears began to well up in Elektra's eyes, as she listened to her brother's taunts.

"Don't-do- that! I don't sound like that!" She sniffed.

As soon as he realised that Elektra had begun to cry, Lysander's grin disappeared.

"El! I was joking. Are you... crying?" He gasped. A panicked expression came over his face and he attempted to place a hand on his sister's shoulder, which she forcefully swatted away.

The two twins' spat was abruptly interrupted by the entry of a large group of elves. They were dressed from head to toe with the most elaborate and expensive robes and their complexions were both pale and shining. They were the epitome of splendour. As if by means of magic, the twins looked up and walked towards their first guests. While Lysander stood up straight like an iron rod, Elektra hastily wiped her eyes and using magic, removed the redness that had emerged around them.

"Welcome!" Lysander boomed confidently, while bowing low. "How fantastic it is to see such fine elves here today. Now I am sure that you are tired as a result of your arduous journey to the golden realm, so you may rest..." Lysander went on.

Elektra could only smile weakly, as she looked at her brother host the guests. A feeling of worthlessness washed over her; he definitely had the better scoop from the gene pool. He was muscular and athletic, with a healthy crop of long red hair complete with shimmering eyes. While being generally tall for Asgardian standards, Elektra was nothing to brag about. She was pitiful at most sports, and had short hair which barely grazed her upper chest. She knew that Lysander had not meant for her to get upset; sometimes he could be so self-centred. The only thing that upset her this time was the fact that he was right. It was all true. She would never move forward with Loki. Right now, he was most definitely making fun of her. In a way, Lysander loosely reminded her of Thor. However, the more she dwelled on the comparison, the more she became uneasy. If her brother was Thor that meant that she would be...

By the time that she had come back to her senses, the guests were all laughing at some joke that Lysander had told, and they had begun to walk towards their seats. After giving the elves a brief smile, Elektra glanced towards the door. Even more guests were arriving. Glancing at Lysander who had already started ushering them in, she backed away quickly and slipped out of the door at the back of the building. Once exposed to the cool air, she sucked in a deep breath. Miriana's sisters were the bridesmaids, so Elektra did not have to face the horrors of standing up in front of a room full of elves that were better than her in every aspect. Before going back inside, she lifted her head, only to behold a horrifying sight at the entrance door. It was Amelita, dressed from head to toe in green and gold.

On her arm, was no other than Loki.

_That was her plan! That scheming minx! _Elektra thought, with a mixture of rage and apprehension. How Amelita had managed to get him to accompany her, Elektra did not know. She groaned in annoyance, but still, took one last look at him before he disappeared. She could not deny that he was by far, the most beautiful boy she had ever set eyes on. Even when compared to the members of her own race that she had grown up along, Loki still captivated her the most. His silken cape was wrapped around his lean shoulders, and his rich black hair combed back to perfection. On his face was an absorbed look; Elektra could sense a hint of trepidation in it, as if he was expecting something to happen.

"No, no, no." She angrily muttered, while taking a final deep breath. _Don't look up. Just... head down, as always. He won't notice you. _At that moment, Elektra felt heavily thankful for the floor. It had been her friend for so many years; the only one which had actually held her gaze.

_Right, I really need a boyfriend. _Elektra thought, while brushing off the thoughts tersely. She stepped inside the room, and the loud sound of hearty chatter filled her ears. Making sure to keep her eyes on her feet, she hurried towards her allocated seat near the altar. It felt like an eternity before Lazarus had finally entered and initiated the ceremony. Darys was stood at the altar with his dashing groom clothing, with the happiest of expressions. By him, stood his three brothers, Rinion, Calanor and Ari. Lazarus beamed with pride, as he placed a hand on his oldest son's shoulder. Elektra felt a hand on hers, and for the first time, she stole a glance upwards. Her brother was sat with her; a genuinely apologetic look was etched on his face. She gave him a small smile, in order to show him that it was all okay. While the grand band played the wedding music, Lysander bent over and whispered in her ear.

"I don't want to alarm you El, but Amelita's got to go."

"What?" She hissed back.

"She's stealing your boy! I saw that seductress; she's with His Royal Hotness! Of all the guys in Asgard, she picked him to ask here!" He urged desperately. Elektra merely rolled her eyes and gasped.

"It's not a problem, Lys. I know that-"

Suddenly, Elektra stopped speaking, as the bride had entered the room. She gracefully drifted down the aisle, her dress following metres behind her. Elektra smirked. Miriana had always been one for show. Her long waist-length golden hair was tied up into an elaborate knot on the top of her head, and a broad smile was stretched across her face. For a few hours, thoughts of Loki had disappeared completely, and she did not even take one glance at him.

Everything after that was a blur. Lazarus had made a long and sentimental speech about how proud he was, and how he hoped for more weddings to follow. Elektra's second oldest cousin, Rinion also made a speech, riddled with awful puns which gained several forced chuckles from the audience. Finally, the ceremony finished, and the guests were left to chatter amongst themselves.

"Don't leave yet, my fair guests! Parties are sure to follow, so if you sit tight, we'll be right with you!" Lysander happily boomed.

"That was great!" Elektra gasped, as soon as Lysander had finished addressing the crowd.

"Absolutely," Her brother chuckled in agreement, "D'you see how Miriana's dress was? It was if she was trying to show her-"

"Okay, okay, you deplorable pervert. As of now, you are no longer allowed to make side remarks about her. She's now technically related to you."

"Ah, whatever," Lysander sighed, before walking off and joining his cousins in a hearty embrace. Elektra felt overly stifled by the entire ceremony, and decided that the best thing to do would be to take some air. She stood up, brushed herself off and slipped through the same door that she had before, before breathing deeply and covering her hands with her face.

"You did well in avoiding me today." A smooth voice came from behind her. She froze in horror, and turned slowly.


	7. Chapter 7

Of course, it was Loki who had spoken. If she were to place bets on it, Elektra was sure that she detected a hint of annoyance in Loki's face. One of his slender eyebrows was pulled up to form a perfect arch, and his lips were pursed into a tight line.

"Urghh..." Elektra began.

"This is becoming tiresome, Elektra. Why are you doing this to me? First, you tell me that you love me, and next you ignore me for the most part of three hours."

"W-When you put it like that..." Elektra looked down guiltily. She just could not find it in her to look him in the eyes. That decision however, would not be made by her. She suddenly felt cold fingers on the underside of her chin, pulling her face up.

"I know that we have a connection. Ever since you told me that story at your house all those weeks ago, I knew that I had a friend in you. I have enough experience in being ignored, Elektra. I do not wish to gain any more." He softly said. His green eyes locked into her hazel ones, and a sadder look came across his face.

"Do you like physics?" She suddenly asked, her voice rising in pitch.

A slightly perplexed look came over Loki, as he struggled to comprehend the nature of her question. She had suddenly perked up, as if nothing had ever happened. There he was, pouring his heart out to this elf girl he had known for no longer than two weeks, and she would think to ask him a question such as that.

_Do you like physics?_

"W-well, I suppose I do. It is a vital part of science, as-" Loki began slowly, before being cut off hurriedly.

"Oh, you do? Absolutely fantastic! I'm yet to meet another passionate fan. I think that it's such a fantastic part of life; it's all around us yet so invisible..." Elektra continued to speak, without pause, about all of the wonders of physics. Once again, he was mesmerised by the depth of her voice, and he could only stand by and listen to it. It flowed perfectly, like silk. The only words Loki managed to get out of her frenzied monologue, were' alternate reality' and something about cats and explosives. Although Loki did not understand much of what she was saying, he could clearly see that she was passionate. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth barely closed when she spoke. He had noticed all of the maidens at her cousin's wedding, and if Loki had been the same person that he was two weeks ago, he would have flirted with every single one of them. He most likely would have brought one or two home with him, to prove to his family and 'friends', that he was not the hermit that they thought that he was. But not now. Now, he only saw Elektra, and nobody else.

And that was enough for Loki.

He quickly drew in close to her, cupped her face in his hands and crushed her lips with his own. Squeals came from the girl who he now held, but upon slipping his tongue past her parted lips, she fell silent. He could instantly tell that she had never shown this level of affection to anybody before, as she frequently bit Loki's upper lip by accident, and she had no idea what to do with her hands, so she took to flailing them around her body. With a small grunt, he pinned her hands down by her side and continued to kiss her. They embraced for at least a few minutes, before slowly coming apart.

"I love you." He reverently murmured into her pointed ear, before nibbling on the tip.

"I love you more." She giggled, while futilely trying to shove his head away from her ear.

Finally. He had somebody to call his own. Loki did not care that she was not of Asgard. When he considered society's standards of beauty, he knew that she did not even make a mark. She did not have full lips and bright eyes, nor was she particularly 'well endowed.' Despite all of this, she was still the most beautiful, in his eyes. She was clever; interesting and passionate. He quickly placed his hands on her shoulders and spun her around, so that she now had her back to the wall. His action was met with a quick gasp and a laugh. He placed both of his arms on either side of her, so to trap her within his body. She bit her lip meekly.

"I suppose I'm your prisoner." She began coyly.

"You are. And I, yours." He purred lovingly, before placing his head against hers and closing his eyes.

Swiftly however, the two broke apart, upon hearing a throat being loudly cleared. With her cheeks burning, Elektra looked up, to see Lysander standing next to the door. He had an unassuming expression on his face, but Elektra could tell that he was slightly embarrassed, as his cheeks were a dull pink.

"Err... We kind of need to, erm...go back in now, El." He muttered, while averting his eyes from the two who had been forced to quickly separate. "My prince," He added courteously, while nodding his head in Loki's direction. Loki smiled back at him.

"Of course, Lysander." Loki shortly said, while making his way inside. He and Elektra shared a quick glance before he disappeared into the wedding hall once more. As soon as Loki turned his back, Lysander's face split into an enormous grin.

"Crikey, El. With the rate that you're going, we'll have to book this hall again within the next month. And possibly a maternity wing in the hospital." He chortled. Elektra scoffed, and punched him lightly on the shoulder as she followed Loki into the hall. With him by her side, she felt a little more confident. For the first time in years, she was able to look up from the floor and look around at the people around her. Even though she could only look at the smiling faces around her for a fraction of a second, it was a difference. She scanned the room for any sign of Amelita. When she finally locked eyes with her friend, Elektra smiled happily and gave her the thumbs up, before gesturing towards Loki. When Amelita caught on, her eyes widened and she winked suggestively. At that, Elektra realised that Amelita so often reminded her of Lysander, with her bawdy remarks and her never-failing sense of humour.

"Loki!" Elektra hissed, at a volume which could be heard over the babble of the bright room. She felt a strange feeling when she said his name. He turned to face her.

"Mmhm?"

"I have to go to meet with my family. It's a thing we do in Alfheim a lot; we have a little ritual/ceremony after weddings."

"Of course_, El. _Where should I meet you next?"

"Tell you what. I'll be in the library tomorrow, I'll meet you there!" She replied brightly, "Maybe you should keep Amelita company; I'd hate to see her get bored."

"I think your brother's taken care of that." Loki chuckled lowly, while gesturing towards the other end of the room.

Lysander was stood with Amelita, and he must have been making a terribly funny joke, as Amelita looked as though she would burst out laughing any second. Elektra scoffed quickly and turned to face Loki once again.

"Really, Elektra it's fine. Just promise me you'll tell me more about Alfheim. Of all the nine realms, it's possibly the one I know least about. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." After giving his hand a squeeze, she disappeared away from him and into the crowd.

_After-wedding family circle, here I come_, Elektra thought dully.


	8. Chapter 8 (Final Chapter)

**Note: Am I the only one that's actually peeved about the fact that Alfheim is**_** really **_**neglected in the comics? We get to see Asgard, Vanaheim, Hel and everywhere else, all apart from Alfheim. Sure we get a few glimpses, but I'm totally calling for an entire franchise set only in Alfheim to compensate for the lack thereof. Elves are people too! Anyway, enjoy the last chapter, if you can. I know it's pitiful, but whatever. Hopefully you won't be all too disappointed with the ending; I've tried to make it as cheery as possible, lol. Loki needs some legit cheering up in my opinion.**

She sat watching and waiting, with a small smile of anticipation on her face. She had kept the promise that she had made to Loki the day before, and had gathered a large group of books pertaining to one thing only: Alfheim. Elektra had arrived at the library over an hour earlier than she and Loki had agreed, solely for the purpose of preparation. No one had ever asked her about matters regarding her homeland, and now was her chance to shine. Plus, he was theoretically her boyfriend now, so she could actually call it a date!

As if blasted with electric lightning, her head shot up. She had heard the librarian greeting Loki, although this time, she would not count the seconds until he reached the window. She would not cower behind her fortress of books and coyly steal a glance in his direction. She would offer him a seat and greet him with a loving smile. While she heard him politely conversing with the librarian, she very quickly practised how she would greet him. Would he want another kiss? Even though she had liked their previous embrace, she knew that she was a lousy kisser, and she would feel horridly uncomfortable in public. Despite him being her 'boyfriend,' she still considered him to be a good friend to her, and she therefore decided to treat him as such.

When he emerged from behind the grand bookcase which separated them, Elektra smiled widely. This time, it had taken only seven seconds for him to emerge before her. He reciprocated her facial greeting and strutted towards her.

"Hi, Loki!" She giggled, in an attempt to sound more confident in front of him. Unfortunately, the words had been said an octave higher than she had hoped, and she sounded as if she hadn't a thought in her head.

"Good afternoon, El. Have you kept your promise?" He crooned gently, while sitting down beside her and taking both of her hands into his own. _Yes, now's my chance! _Elektra thought triumphantly, while patting his wrists with her thumb.

"You bet, Sir Tricks- a –Lot! I have a plethora of books here, for you so-"Elektra began, while pulling her hands away and gesturing towards the books on her right.

"I was hoping that... maybe you would tell me about it yourself. I can read the books any time, really." He said. Elektra thought he seemed a little disappointed, although he did a good job of hiding it. Elektra had never spoken at length about anything other than science, so she began to question her confidence. Loki, noticing the slight narrowing of her eyes, smiled and put one hand around her neck.

"I'll ask you the questions. Just... do your best to answer them." He said softly, while stroking her hair.

"That's fine with me!" Elektra replied breezily. At least she would be guided in the conversation.

"Oh gosh, where to start? What exactly does Alfheim_ look_ like? I have heard that it is an endless forest, abundant with the most unique life that one can find."

"Ah, you're right about the second part. But the forest part's a rather common misconception. While we do have a large amount of woodland, we have an equal amount of meadows, marshlands, plains and mountains." She began, putting extra emphasis on the last word of her sentence, "I myself was born in the mountains, which is the best place to be, really. We elves have a love for all things natural, so of course we plant where we can."

Before Elektra knew it, she was able to speak confidently with Loki, and answered each of his questions in depth. Some of his questions threw her off course; they ranged from mere matters of weather and climate, to deeper issues such as religion, belief and social hierarchy. Of course, when people walked by the table, her voice lowered even more and she felt her cheeks grow hot, but when she took a glance at Loki's face, she continued. She could really tell that he loved every moment of it.

Eventually, after almost three whole hours of deep conversation, Loki peered towards the clock, and cursed under his breath.

"Err, Loki?" Elektra began uncomfortably.

"I'm running really late, dinner began over half an hour ago! It'll be nearly over by now." He hissed in annoyance. This caused Elektra to let out a quick laugh.

"You idiot! Are we meeting again tomorrow?" She giggled. Now, she was more confident than ever before.

"Hmm! Someone's lost their stutter!" Loki muttered with a smirk, while collecting his things together.

"Are we?" She persisted, while leaning her head forwards.

"Fine, if you'd like. Although this time, I'd like to take you somewhere of _my _choosing." He replied firmly. At that, Elektra pulled his hand towards her face and kissed his knuckles, while looking him in the eyes.

"You are aware that in Asgard, that is a _male _custom?"

"Oh, I know. Anarchy until I die." Elektra sniggered, while Loki looked bemused. As he turned to finally push his chair in, Elektra placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around.

"Wait- you said that you're late for dinner?"

"Mmhm." He replied carelessly.

"Well... maybe, considering you're already quite a bit late, you could come home with me and have it at my place instead?" She enquired timidly, while looking around innocently. There were two ways this would work out; either he would become annoyed at her for trying to take him away from his family, or he would politely rebuff her.

"I don't see why not. Perhaps I will get another chance to see more of _your elven possessions._" He said barely above a whisper, with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Oh, fine, I'm sorr- Wait, what?"

"I said that I'd very much love to come to dinner with you! What am I to do with you, Elektra?"

"Oh, okay. Let's be off then!" Elektra said brightly, before quickly taking Loki's arm and linking it with her own. Slightly dishevelled, Loki just followed her out of the library.

Once the two finally reached Elektra's home, Loki had begun to straighten himself up and comb back his hair with his fingers, causing Elektra to let out a squawk of laughter.

"Loki, you're royalty. If anything, I should be doing that for you."

"Forget my heritage; it is irrelevant when I am with you. To you, I am your best friend, and believe me; I love you more than you will ever know."

"Oh, I know." Elektra cooed, while bringing Loki's hand down from his head and placing it on her chest.

Quickly, she jumped away from Loki, for she had heard something behind her. She turned sharply, and gasped furiously when she saw who it was.

Three of her cousins, excluding her newly married oldest one, accompanied by her brother Lysander and best friend Amelita, were miming being sick and laughing loudly. It was as though they had forgotten that he was a prince!

"Well, well, well! If it isn't the _lovers of loving love. _How was lovers' land today?" Crooned Lysander, in a sickly sweet voice. Elektra thought that she would die of embarrassment right then. She turned to face Loki desperately, but he was merely smirking, and he had placed his hands on his hips.

"What the bloody hell are you doing, you ass-"Elektra checked herself and sighed, "A- holes?"

"See, we were out at the restaurant just now, and frankly it was terrible. If you would be so kind, your royal hot- I'm sorry, Excellency, could you possibly help us form a complaint?" Lysander said, stepping forwards.

"On what grounds?" Loki enquired; he genuinely seemed interested in the conversation. Lysander let out a melodramatic sigh, and put a hand over his forehead.

"Quite frankly, it was the worst food we've ever tasted."

"The worst." Amelita added, with a shake of her fist.

"Sing it, girlfriend." Another one of Elektra's cousins added.

"First and foremost, the service was horrible. They were casting us evil looks from the moment we walked in. Is it just me or do I sense some racial tension? I mean, I know we're a group of wood lice and we'd probably loot the entire restaurant if we had half a chance, but really, there was no need for such looks." Amelita said, with an air of victimisation and innocence to her voice.

At that moment, Elektra wished herself dead. She had visions of flinging her brother, along with Amelita and all three of her cousins into an abyss. Loki nodded affirmatively, although it seemed as though he wanted to burst out laughing.

"That's not all there was to it. The food was atrocious as well. Don't even talk to me about the mashed potato. It tasted like a guy had got his balls, and dipped them inside the bowl before serving them to us!" Lysander moaned, with an even more dramatic tone.

Loki merely stood patiently and listened, before finally stepping forward.

"And how would you know what 'a guy's balls' taste like, Lysander?" He asked brightly, making quotation marks with his fingers.

Loki's completely calm comment was met with howls of laughter, the loudest coming from Elektra herself. She placed a hand on his shoulder and swelled with pride. Lysander's eyes widened, and in his face was a glimmer of respect, mingled with panic.

"Ha- yeah, that's a good one, my prince. Very funny." He stammered quickly; he seemed slightly suspicious, however. Elektra dreaded to think.

"As of now, you all need not refer to me as your prince; you may call me Loki, or whatever else you wish."

"Oh sure, so can I call you 'Your royal hotness then?'" Lysander asked, in a much too casual manner. Elektra gave him a filthy look. Loki looked himself up and down proudly, and snorted with laughter.

"Whatever you wish," Loki stated firmly, before walking forwards to shake the hands of Elektra's three cousins and her brother also. He gave Amelita a quick kiss on the hand.

"I never did thank you for taking me to the wedding, Amelita."

"Oh no, it was my pleasure completely." She hastily replied.

With that, the seven teenagers walked towards the door, as if they had all been best friends for many millennia. For the first time in his life, Loki felt respected and loved, not only by Elektra, but also by her family and friends too.

"I forgot to mention," Lysander began intensely, "I've ended things with Sjofn. Too clingy." He continued, with an air of righteous indignation. As soon as he had spoken, Amelita perked up and walked ahead.

"Oh? What a shame." She said, although there was not a hint of regret or sadness in her voice.

Loki looked slightly confused after Lysander had finished, and looked to Elektra for guidance. _His seventh and latest ex-girlfriend, _she mouthed to him. She gave Loki's hand another squeeze, and interlocked their fingers. They both took one look at eachother and knew that they would be happy. The sun had begun to lower in the sky; it resembled a majestic orb suspended in the air by some magical force. Leaves and petals fluttered towards the floor and rustled in the pale autumn's wind as the sun stole away behind the deep clouds.

They would be together.

Until Ragnarok and beyond.


End file.
